Mburo's garden of Eden

To me Lake Mburo National Park is the closest you can get to what the Biblical Garden of Eden was like. There are herds of sprinting zebras, impala, eland, topis, girraffes, antelopes and bush bucks. Close by communities share with them water, pasture, sun shine and drought.

In flight are more than 300 species of birds competing for visibility with butterflies as insects chirp in the wood for hours on end.

Dating back to 1982 when it was gazetted, the park located in Mbarara covers 260 sq km on which there are five lakes. Opposite it are communities of the Bahima whose love for the long horned cows remains unbeaten globally.

Minister of state for tourism Godfrey Kiwanda tastes a music instrument sold in the Mburo National Park curio.

I was to learn that, a typical Muhima loves his woman with hips as wide as the cow's horns. They diet them on ghee and milk to get beefy and glistening. It is the secret to making their skins as tender as the backside of a baby.

I took a break at Igongo to have myself furnished with these details of the people and places here.

In Mburo, besides birds, reptiles and primates I was amazed to see tourists armed with courage, cameras, bushy beards and love for nature. They walk about in the park without a ranger.

Information center for furnishing visitors with details about the things and cultures seen in Mburo National Park.

 

But the boat ride was done under close supervision. Stay warned though - there is a lone lion prowling the area. Talk has it that, its relatives were poisoned by the communities whose goats, sheep and cows had become their snacks.

This park as a destination is ideal for a surprise birthday gift, anniversary celebration or restocking the embers of a relationship. Spending a day with the cattle keeping community is a thriller that is hard to resist by urbanites.

The original Ankole hut before architecture was corrupted by colonialists. Photo by Titus Kakembo

Accommodation

Sleeping there is as affordable as sh10,000. And there are campsites where a tent or a hut can be rented. Bathrooms are shared.

There is an improvised bar stocked with most bottled brands of largers and spirits. Fresh fruits like mangoes, pumplins, pawpaws, bananas and beans could make a vegeterian beam with smiles.

Getting there

There are three ways into the park. There is a route from the Masaka/Mbarara road. A special hire taxi or Bodaboda can suffice at between sh5000-sh20,000.

If you are cruising you own car, a 4WD is recommendable. A 2WD ought to be preserved for the dry season. It is advisable to enter there through Sanga gate.

When coming from Kampala, the first turn off for Mburo is 13km away from Lyantonde.

The other turn is 24km after Lyantonde and another is 50km before Mbarara town. Tough people can walk it. But a baseball cap, umbrella and drinking water would be of help under the reeking sun heat or down pour.